Schedule a package install for offline macbook

Question

New to ARD, but picking it up quick. Didn't find this question or answer in this community.
If I am managing a computer that is infrequently ON, how do I get the ARD admin to push the package when the target computer comes online?
Wanting to update the ARD client to 3.5.2. Because the remote computer is offline, I could not select Install, but only Save. Right now, I've got it setup as a: Install Packages, scheduled for 15 minutes from now, repeating every 30 minutes. BTW, the admin is running on my MBP, as I have not yet begun to understand the Task Server concept. Will my MBP continue attempting this after it goes to sleep?

Answer 1

The idea of a task server, is that you setup a 2nd computer with the same computer list, and instead of issuing the task to your computer, you issue it to the 2nd computer. (Witch has to be on using diffrent ARD SN Key.) The are many good reasons to do this.
For instance maybe you want to be able to put your computer to sleep. OR maybe you want to be able to issue other tasks and not have to wait while the large task is still running. Maybe you have a 2nd location, so it's better to send the file to 1 computer and have it distribute the file for you.
Personally I found most of my tasks sent from the 1st computer failed on the 2nd computer; I think this had to do with the computer lists on the 2nd computer not matching the 1st computer.
I found it easier to remote into the 2nd computer, and then manully use ARD on the 2nd computer to setup what ever task I wanted to do.
I couldn't find a way to make ARD issues tasks to off line computers. Instead I would issue the command to all computers, knowing some would fail. when the tasks completed, I would select the clients that the task had failed on, and then re-issue the command to just those cleints.
evetually this would get the failed computer down to a handful of computers. And then I would have to hunt down those computers.
if you issue a task to run on the MBP then yes it need to be on to run. If you issue a task to  run from a diffrent compute runnning ARD; then your computer can be asleep.
If you have a large fleet of laptops you might want to look at a 3rd party solution. For instance JAMF, or  Munki.